A Very Merry Christmas Indeed
by MelodiousVengeance
Summary: Nine and her Princes exchange Christmas gifts and relish in the fact that they all get to stay together. Post Episode 13.


**A/N: Hey there guys, Vengeance here. I just recently discovered Save me! Lollipop! And while it isn't really the type of anime I usually watch, I really enjoyed it and wished there had been more. However, there isn't, so I decided to write my own little scene on what I like to think Christmas morning was like for Nina and all of her friends. Please enjoy, and remember to review please. Thanks.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Save me! Lollipop in any way shape or form.**

"Wake up, Nina. Come on, get up!" were the first things she heard as the fog of waking up cleared her mind and she realized someone was talking to her. Sowly she opened her eyes."Zero?" she blinked as she saw a blue eyed boy standing over her, his nose pressed to hers. It only took her a few moments to understand their position and to scream as she sat up, successfully head butting Zero and knocking him to the floor.

"Hey," Zero groaned as he rubbed his forehead glaring up at her.

"Don't you hey me. You shouldn't have been in my bed while I was asleep!" she yelled at the boy as she started to stand up.

Zero was about to retaliate when Nina's closet door opened and Ichii walked in, pulling down his shirt in the process. "What's going on?" he asked, sounding a little tired, not that it was at all surprising. The previous day had been a huge one for all of them. Yesterday, the trio, along with their friends, had fought against the black crystal pearl. It had been quite the fight- at one point it had been so bad that Ichii and Zero had even sent her home to protect her.

However, not willing to accept the fact that she couldn't help her friends, Nina had gone back to help, and they had managed to defeat the black crystal pearl, which had actually been the egg for a tiny little guy, which Nina then found out it would be hers to raise as a Sorcerer's helper. This also meant that Zero and Ichii, along with all her other friends, would be staying to help her. It was the greatest Christmas present Nina could have received.

Christmas.

"It's Christmas," Nina finally said aloud, looking back and forth from Zero and Ichii. Zero rolled his eyes and glared at Nina. "No duuh, why do you think I've been trying to get you up," Zero asked her as he finally decided to pull himself up off the ground. "Zero," Ichii said as a warning to his younger partner. It wasn't that Zero was really doing anything wrong, but Ichii was the older one and saw himself as the big brother to the two and he really didn't want any more yelling or fighting; especially since it was Christmas morning.

"Should we exchange gifts now?" asked Ichii after he was sure that Zero wouldn't continue on with his sarcasm. He smiled at Nina as he watched her stand up and look around for something, but what she was looking for, he wasn't sure. "What are you doing?" Zero asked beating Ichii to the punch.

"Where's Zura and the little baby?" Nina asked. She had already taken to naming the new little addition to their group as the baby. She wasn't really sure what it was, but it looked like a dragon to her. When she didn't see them she looked at the boys, who merely shrugged. She sighed a little and sat onto the bed. She was supposed to be responsible for the little guy, and here she was losing him already. "I'm responsible for him," she said biting her lip and fisting her hands into her pyjama bottoms.

Ichii and Zero looked to each other then moved to sit next to Nina, Ichii on the left and Zero on the right. "I'm sure he's fine. He and Zura are probably together," Ichii said, placing his hand on Nina's shoulder, trying to be reassuring. He didn't want Nina to be sad, not on Christmas morning when they had just found out that they would be allowed to spend another year together. "Yeah. We'll find them later so just cheer up loser. It's Christmas," Zero said, being his normal self. Nina knew he was trying to help, but it wasn't the best form of reassurance, yet she nodded her head. They were both right after all.

"I didn't know what to get you," Nina finally said looking from one boy to the other. However, after she spoke she moved to her dresser and pulled the top drawer, taking out two small boxes. One was wrapped with simple red wrapping paper and a green bow, the other was a snowman scene and a blue ribbon. She held one out to each boy, a small blush on her face.

Both boys took the box offered to them. Ichii took his time untying the bow on his and gently pulling away the paper. Zero, on the other hand, wasted no time in tearing into the package like he was a lion ripping into a wildebeest. All Nina could do was rock back and forth on the balls of her feet as both boys opened their boxes. "Nina," Ichii said, being the first to react. Ichii was holding his gift in his hand, looking at it like it was a precious stone, Zero on the other hand was holding his box right in front of him, peering into it as a mother would stare at her new born in a crib.

"I know it might be a little strange, but I thought you were leaving, and I wanted you to have something to remember me by," she said as she reached around her neck and pulled on a little gold chain and held out the heart shaped locket, identical to the ones she had given to Zero and Ichii. "There's a picture of me, and one of you two and Zura," she explained, her face starting to feel like it was on fire. She was still scared to see how they would react. She felt a little relieved when Zero didn't make fun of her, and instead put his locket on, followed by Ichii who mimicked his actions.

"It's perfect," Ichii said. Nina didn't really expect Zero to say anything, she was just glad that he had put it on and hadn't made any sarcastic comments. That had been one of the things she had been most worried about. She knew deep down Zero didn't mean the things he said, but that didn't mean that they didn't sometimes hurt.

"Glad you like it. Merry Christmas," she told them finally after they were all wearing their lockets and smiling. "Your turn," Zero said getting right down to business and making his way back over to Nina's closet door. He disappeared behind it for a few moments and came out with two simple white boxes with gold ribbon. He tossed one over Nina's head to where Ichii was still sitting on her bed and then walked around so he was standing in front of her. "Here," Zero said as he thrust his gift at her- he was there first after all, and thus should be allowed to give his gift first.

"Oh thanks," Nina said a little awkwardly as she reached out and took the box from Zero. She anxiously untied the ribbon and then slid the lid off the box. And the one thing Nina could think of doing was laugh, which she did. She grinned like an idiot and removed the bracelet from the box. It was a simple string bracelet with a modest pearl held in the middle. "Thank you Zero. I love it," she beamed, holding the bracelet out to him along with her wrist, motioning for him to tie it on.

Zero obliged with a smile. "I thought it would look good on you," he explained as he tied it up on her wrist. He didn't pull the string too tight; he didn't want to cut any circulation off. He then stood back and allowed Ichii to stand up and offer his slightly larger box up to Nina. Nina wasted no time in opening it the same way she had Zero's, and was glad to see that he had bought her another lollipop; this one pink and blue. "A new lollipop, thank you," Nina grinned as she moved to place it in her hair where she had often worn the other one.

Then, without warning, Nina shot forward and hugged the boys as tightly as she could. She still couldn't' believe she had been lucky enough to have them here with her on Christmas morning. She didn't need the gifts; she was just glad that she had them there with her. The bracelet and the lollipop were just a bonus. "I love you guys," Nina said with tears almost in her eyes. She wouldn't allow them to fall; she knew that she should be happy, not sad when nothing bad had happened. She was one of the happiest girls in the world, and she was so wrapped up in her moment with Zero and Ichii, everyone holding each other close, she almost missed her name being called.

"That's Zura," Nina said once the voice was able to break through their moment. She ran to the window and looked down to see Zura and the baby on the front lawn waving. There, next to them, stood Forte, San, Rokka, and Gou. "Merry Christmas, Nina," they all called up, waving, and then started to move out of the way. Behind them stood a snowman, shaped like every one of their friends; there was even one of Yakumo and Nanase. Nina grinned and waved back. "Merry Christmas to you too," she called back down, the world's biggest grin on her face.

Yesterday, they may have had the battle of their lives, but it all seemed so long ago. Today was a day to be with friends and family and have smiles plastered on her face. Today was a day to celebrate all the great friends she had managed to make throughout this whole experience. Even though it had sometimes been tough having the crystal pearl inside of her, Nina was glad it had happened. If it hadn't ,she never would have made all of these really wonderful friends, and she never would have met Zero and Ichii. She wouldn't have ever had her Princes.


End file.
